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Questions & Answers about Herkese mutlu yıllar!
Why does herkes have an -e at the end?
Herkes means "everyone". The -e suffix means "to" or "for" (this is called the dative case). So, herkese literally translates to "to everyone".
We say "Happy New Year" in English. Why is yıllar (years) plural?
In Turkish, greetings and good wishes are very often plural. Just like you say iyi günler (good days) or iyi akşamlar (good evenings), Turkish speakers wish you "happy years" rather than just one happy year.
Where is the word for "new" in this sentence?
There isn't one! The phrase mutlu yıllar literally just means "happy years". While you can use the word for new (yeni) in longer New Year greetings, the standard, everyday way to say "Happy New Year!" is just mutlu yıllar!
What vowel harmony rule makes the suffix on herkese an -e instead of an -a?
The suffix for "to/for" is either -e or -a. You look at the last vowel in the base word. The last vowel in herkes is e. Because e is a front vowel, the word takes the front vowel suffix -e.